The ‘Getting to Know You Period’ on the Plane

Dear Sky Steward,

You address the subject of children kicking the back of your seat on the plane, but what about adults? I flew recently from Denver to New York and had to have my seat kicked, shifted, and pulled-on the entire flight. What should I do the next time?

Signed,
Uncomfortable from Aurora

Dear U from A,

The Sky Steward dealt with this situation recently when flying from Los Angeles to Miami. The best way to handle this situation is on the second time it occurs. In this case, when the person in the row behind was seated, they immediately started kneeing his seat every 10 to 15 seconds. He very politely turned around, with a smile, “Excuse me, is my seat pushing against your knees?” When questioned, the other passenger said that the seat was not hitting his knees. The Sky Steward then let him know that for some reason he kept feeling something against his back, as if it were a strange mystery how this was occurring. The ‘kneeing’ stopped immediately. So, The Sky Steward was not the most popular person on the plane to this passenger; however, it was worth it for him to escape 5 hours of discomfort.

Tip: It is best to these types of things soon after they start occurring. Although we never want to be rude, we must sometimes remind people that the only seat that is theirs is the one their bottoms are touching. This also applies to people putting their carry-on luggage under their seat and on your feet. We’ll talk more about that next time.

Whose Space Is It Anyway?

Dear Sky Steward,

It infuriates me when the passenger in front of me slams his or her seat into the fully reclined position the moment the seat-belt sign is switched off, cutting into what I believe is “my” space. I am not talking about late night flights and overnight sleeping, I am talking about short to medium haul day-time flights. I am less and less polite about this situation as time goes by. Could you please explain what personal “space” a passenger is and is not entitled to.

Signed,
Violated from Vancouver

Dear Violated,

The Sky Steward suffered during a situation like this himself when a couple seated in front of him at the bulkhead decided to put their seat back all the way. He was left with so little space, he could not use his laptop to get any work done on the 3 hour flight from Dallas to San Francisco. Turning the air vents on full blast and turning them in the direction of the couple (who had already complained to the flight attendant about the cold) did nothing to help the situation. Looking back on it, he wishes he had practiced what he preaches and politely asked the the husband to bring his seat up just a bit.

That is the only thing to do since it is the right of everyone on the plane to recline their seat and the "no-recline device" has been banned by most carriers. The Sky Steward does not feel that it is always necessary to recline the seat and when it is possible to keep it upright, it is a very generous act of kindness that is greatly appreciated. It seams like a game of dominos; when one seat goes back, so do all the others behind it.

Top 10 Jetiquette Infractions

The Sky Steward asked his frequent flier friends on FlyerTalk and Linkedin to share their opinions regarding the most irritating in-flight behavior, lack of travel manners, and deficiencies of airborne etiquette and here is our list of the Top 10 (for now) Jetiquette Pet-Peeves:

Here is what travelers have said:

"It is so annoying when people..."

1. Bring so many items on board that they hit everyone in the aisle on their way to their seat
   
2. Pull down the seat in front of them to climb over and get to the aisle
   
3. Talk to me the whole flight while I am trying to read, sleep, or watch the movie
   
4. Bring smelly food on the plane that I have to smell. Worst? A can of tuna or chicken!
   
5. Allow their children to kick my seat or scream. I now bring my noise canceling headset :) Oh, and no diaper changing outside of the lavatory please
   
6. Take an overhead bin in the front when they are seated in 52K!
   
7. Use games or DVD players without headphone so the sound heard by all
   
8. Blow their nose incessantly or cough and sneeze without covering their nose/mouth.
   
9. Spread trash all over the plane affecting the entire onboard environment
   
10. Move into the space of their neighbor's seat...You know, that unwelcome elbow?!

There are quite a bit more and there is plenty of time to cover them. Of course we want your comments and questions!

Disruptive Inflight Behavior The Subject of Conference

Poor Jetiquette is one thing, but this is ridiculous! DISPAX World, an international conference on disruptive airline passenger behaviour (ie. addressing the subject of Air Rage and Unruly Passengers). It takes place in Istanbul, Turkey, 6-7 May 2009.

From the DISPAXWORLD.COM Website:

"Disruptive Passenger incidents are a daily occurrence onboard commercial flights. With an ever increasing number of travellers taking to the skies, seemingly trivial issues can transform themselves into explosive situations that endanger aircraft safety, expose aircrew to the possibility of assault and can turn the joy of flying into a nightmare for all. DISPAX World aims to indentify the causes of such behaviour, the responses available and the legal implications for carriers and states. This forum provides airline management, aircrew trainers, academics and the security services the opportunity to share experiences, consider solutions and forge global relationships to counter the scourge of air rage."

Well, while we focus on the most civilized behavior as we travel, such as being careful not to hit people with your luggage as we pass down the aisle; we'll let this conference address assault, in-flight intoxication, security issues and the like.

This Just In: Air India Says No to 9 Overweight Hostesses

Anywhere from 24 to 70 pounds over the weight limit was enough to put nine Air India hostesses in the New Dehli unemployment lines after they were let go by Air India. The high court in India has ruled that Air India has a right to fire these flight attendants from the ground jobs they were given when they were labeled "too-fat-to fly" by the airline.

Check out additional articles:

BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7813180.stm

The Jetiquette Card

Dear Sky Steward,

I was told that you offered a "Jetiquette" card that described behavior that should be avoided on airplanes and more about travel manners and etiquette. Can you tell me where I can find a copy?

Thanks,

Skybound in Seattle


Dear Skybound,

The Sky Steward is more than happy to make this available to you!

Happy Flying!

The First Class Walk of Shame

From The Sky Steward

I think we can all agree that once you get used to flying in first or business class, it can be rather addictive. Once you become used to this way of traveling it becomes a virtual "walk of shame" when you have to pass through first class on your way back to your economy seat. BTW, if you are seated in coach, check out http://www.seatguru.com/ in order to find the best coach seat.

Have you ever noticed how, when your seated in first class, you almost feel sorry for the people that are walking through on their way back to coach. Well, multiply that by 10 for how sorry we feel for ourselves when we've failed to get that seat up front and we pass through the forward cabin and all of the lucky souls with their mimosas in hand. What we need to do is insure we don't have to do this walk-of-shame too often.

There are lots of ways, in addition to paying for it, to end up in the premium cabin. Here are a couple:

1. Check in at the airport between 2 and 4 hours in advance at the self-service kiosk and you may be offered an upgrade.

2. Check on the airlines web site closer to departure. If there is a special for the premium cabin on the flights you are booked, you can call the airline. They should let you pay the difference for the seat in first or business class.

The best way to be sure that you are positioned for an upgrade is to concentrate on one airline for most of your travel so that you will become one of their frequent fliers. If you want advice on how to quickly become an elite tier traveler in an airlines frequent flier program, you should check out a great website: http://www.flyertalk.com/.

There are lots of tips there to help you get the the top levels of any airline's frequent flier program (ex. gold, platinum, etc.) Then you will be able to easily upgrade from almost any fare with inexpensive upgrade stickers.


Just so you know, I've seen Jaqueline Bissett, Harry Hamlin, Penny Marshall, Britney Spears, and more do the walk-of-shame as they continued through to their coach seats. So when it is unavoidable, we're in good company.

What is a Luxury Layover?

The Sky Steward loves to enjoy 'Luxury Layovers'! Let us tell you some of the things that normally happen on Luxury Layovers so that you will be well rested and prepared before jetting off. It's alot to do in 24 hours, but here is a sample of what The Sky Steward and friends do while on a layover.

AGENDA

• Pick up at the airport by private Lincoln sedan.
• Taken to 5 Star Hotel or Resort
• Check-in to Luxury Accommodations
• Pre-Shopping Luxury Lunch and Cocktails
• Shopping Spree (to make it fun, we look for bargains)
• Post-Shopping Gourmet Snack and Cocktails
• Late-Afternoon Massage, Mani, and Pedi
• Luxury Gourmet Dinner
• Entertainment in the Evening
• Luxurious Night's Sleep
• Sumptuous Room Service Breakfast
• Morning Workout and Steam
• Luxury Transfer to the Airport
• Flight Home

He hopes you'll join him on a non-working layover soon!

Sign up for the Jetiquette Travel Club and you could be enjoying a luxury layover in the Fall of 2009. Details will be included in the Jetiquette Travel Club Newsletter!

Things That Go Bump in the Flight

Dear Sky Steward,
My fiance and I recently returned to Washington from Paris on United Airlines. Although this flight was very pleasant, our overnight flight to Paris was a nightmare. We were disturbed several times by the flight crew's loud conversations in the galley, plus there was a lot of noise from cart doors being slammed and such. It was impossible to sleep. Are flight crew members told to keep the noise down on overnight flights?

Thanks,
Sleepless in the Capitol

Dear Sleepless,

The Sky Steward is deeply disturbed by your horrendous experience. Your suspicions are correct that flight crews are told to keep the noise down on night flights. Unfortunately it does not happen as much as it should and there are many travellers like yourself who've arrived at their final destination with red eyes on the "red-eye" due to the racket.

Although you should probably write to the airline to complain (if you are a frequent flier, you may receive some sort of compensation), The Sky Steward suggests that you also invest in some noise canceling headsets so that you will be able to sleep regardless of how the crew conducts themselves. Here are some suggested types below to get you started. TIP: Plug them into an MP3 Player with your favorite relaxing music and you won't care if the crew is setting off fireworks in the galley!

Our Noise Canceling Headphone Picks

What Not to Wear While Traveling

Dear Sky Steward,

Last year there was a lot in the news about people being removed from flights and/or humiliated while traveling by air. Do you have any advice that you can give to me so that I not only travel in comfort, but have a little flair as well?

Thanks,
Fashionista Wannabe, Locust Valley, NY

Dear Fashionista,

The Sky Steward wishes to emphasize that most of the people that were removed from flights or humiliated were not really using too much sound judgement when putting their ensembles together for their trips. You would never choose a skirt that rises two feet above the knee, would you? The Sky Steward understands that you are simply looking for alternatives to being too formal. After all, the days of 1950's air travel are long gone. There is no need, however, to give up on traveling in style.

The Sky Steward keeps his wardrobe recommendations for traveling very simple; keep it classic and conservative and regularly consults with his fashion coach Stephen Licata, who also owns retail clothing boutiques in South Florida and the Hamptons. The Sky Steward applauds you for reaching out for advice. If travellers do not wish to dress up too much for travel, here are some suggestions:

For Men: Jeans or other casual pants are fine, but add a sport coat, blazer, or a t-shirt with light vest and take it up a notch. Athletic shoes are OK, but some casual loafers (he prefers Gucci of course) or italian style driving shoes are much better.

For Women: A scoop neck or v-neck solid t-shirt with a lightweight cashmere sweater (they are only $39.00 at K-Mart) plus a stretch jeans or another pant that a percentage of stretch (such as Lycra blend) for comfort.

He would also suggest a loafer/ballet slipper with an attractive buckle that dresses them up perfectly. Make sure to coordinate your belt and shoes.

And don't forget the simple leather buckle belt. Do forget the bling (no jeweled belts please) and grunge is completely grounded (everyone knows that, right?).

Men's Travel Grooming Tips by Request

Dear Sky Steward,

I met you at one of your events and you looked marvelous! How do you do it? I would love it if my husband's hair was a little more like yours and how did your skin look so good?

Will you share your secrets?

Thanks,
Joanne in Macon, GA

Dear Joanne,

The Sky Steward will not only share his secrets; he wanted to give you access to the products he uses as well. These are great for men's skin care and there is a magical hair styling product from Paul Mitchell that he swears by. In fact, he was a bit reluctant to share it. Most of the products are completely self-explanatory except for 2 in particular.

• The Shiseido Color Stick is to add a little bit of bronze color if your husbands skin has been confined to the indoors exclusively and it looks extremely natural and it is used by some of the most manly husbands known to The Sky Steward.


• Benefit Dr. Feelgood is excellent to rub on after using the L'Oreal moisturizer and the bronzer (if needed). It makes the skin look smooth and healthy and gives a matte, well groomed finish.

Link Directly to The Sky Steward Skincare Secrets Boutique